6 Caitlin Clark facts you haven't heard of ahead of the Sweet 16 matchup against Colorado
Caitlin Clark might be the most famous women's basketball player at the moment. Granted, she hasn't set foot in the pros yet, but the Iowa sharpshooter has been a phenomenon. She's garnered attention, with offers like BIG3 founder Ice Cube's $5 million bid for her to join a 3-on-3 basketball league.
But the facts of Caitlin Clark only go so far. For one thing, they keep changing as her career totals ratchet up and up like runaway pinball scores. For another, Clark's personality and background make her more of a Taylor Swift than a Kelsey Plum.
For those who chase down all the details, here. 's a closer look at the lesser-known facts about Caitlin Clark:
6 Caitlin Clark facts you don't know
1. Caitlin isn't the only athlete in her family-- by a long shot.
Caitlin Clark might be the most famous athlete in her family-- in fact, that's a pretty safe supposition. But she's not the only one, not by far. Her father, Brent Clark, played baseball and basketball at local Simpson College. He was second-team all-conference in basketball as a junior and earned three all-conference nods in baseball.
Caitlin's brother, Blake, played college football. In fact, Blake was a backup quarterback for rival Iowa State. Blake spent most of his time holding place-kicks. He did attempt one collegiate pass and scored a two-point conversion in 2022 against Kansas. Blake might win the GPA battle, as he was a four-time Academic All-Big 12 first-team pick.
In all, eleven members of Caitlin Clark's family also played collegiate sports. Genetics are part of what's made her great.
2. Play against guys? She already has.
When Caitlin was five years old, her father couldn't find a girl's team on which she could play. So he worked her into a league against boys. Did the physical play bother Caitlin? Not usually. But once, it did. A bigger boy got rough and Caitlin started crying. Her father, Brent, took her out of the game and told her to calm down, putting her back in the game.
Caitlin's grandfather, Bob Nizzi, recalled the rest of the story. "She went right to this guy and put on the best downfield block that I have ever seen and rolled this kid out of bounds and stood over him," said Nizzi. "She’s a five-year-old little girl and that is when her grandmother and I looked at each other and said, 'she’s going to be really something.'”
3. Two sports? More sports... for a while.
With Caitlin's athleticism, family ties, and interest in sports, she also played other sports. Caitlin dabbled in volleyball, softball, tennis, and golf. She stuck with soccer the longest, playing it for two seasons in Dowling Catholic High School before finally honing in her concentration on basketball.
"She was D-1 material in soccer, easily." JP Pearson, Dowling's soccer coach said. (via Hawk Central)
But could she have been the top-scoring soccer player ever? Alas, it will remain unknown.
4. If you were wondering, she does have a boyfriend. And he's an athlete.
While Caitlin Clark's personal life is pretty well-protected, it has become public that she's dating former Iowa basketball player Connor McCaffery. McCaffery finished his Iowa career in 2023 and had a total of 745 points at Iowa.
McCaffery is a team assistant with the Indiana Pacers. Not inconvenient, as Clark's future WNBA path is likely with the Indiana Fever, who share the same arena.
5. Caitlin could be headed to the breakfast table near you.
Among the many endorsement or likeness deals that Clark has inked, the most interesting might be her own breakfast cereal.
Caitlin Clark's Crunch Time cereal was unfortunately just a regional offering. However, the boxes of the cereal are being resold on eBay and have been described as similar to Frosted Flakes.
Frankly, this idea is too fun to be left behind. Caitlin Clark can deliver the nation the breakfast cereal shake-up that is truly needed.
6. She gets real-world assists, too.
Clark's impressive NIL earnings are frequently mentioned. Less frequently mentioned is that she likes to give back. The Caitlin Clark Foundation was established "to uplift and improve the lives of youth and their communities through education, nutrition, and sport."
Caitlin Clark is involved much more deeply than just with her name. In the organization's Warm Up Campaign in November, Clark donated hoodies, gloves and hats, as well as basketballs and other sports equipment for use with Boys and Girls Clubs. She also paid $22,000 out of pocket to support the campaign.